History of the Institute

Neuroscience was designated by The University of Sydney as a major research strength in the year 2000 following a submission by Max Bennett, Professor of Neuroscience. As a result, Sydney University Neuroscience (SUN) was established, an organisation representing the many laboratories contributing to neuroscience research at The University of Sydney and its teaching hospitals. The purpose of SUN was to unite and integrate the neuroscience research laboratories, provide a common point of reference for those working within SUN, to educate the community in the brain sciences and to showcase the many research threads currently pursued at the University of Sydney. The University’s 70+ neuroscience research laboratories cover disciplines such as behavioural and cognitive neuroscience, cellular and molecular neuroscience, molecular neuropharmacology, neurodegenerative disease, and pain management. This includes many laboratories with their own ARC and NHMRC funding.

The SUN network provided the basis for the establishment of the Brain & Mind Research Institute (BMRI) in 2003. This is a physically and conceptually discrete entity within the University that is devoted to the investigation and treatment of diseases of the brain and mind. It provides clinical services to children, adolescents and adults and houses on the same site basic neurosciences and translational research. The purpose of the BMRI is to provide a hub of clinical and technical expertise, attracting new overseas research professors to facilitate major developments in neuroscience, both on campus and in the University’s teaching hospitals.